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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Kevin Pietersen will be available for the full IPL 7 season. Which of the franchises will grab the dashing batsman at the IPL auction?
Rediff.com's Bikash Mohapatra lists the overseas players who could make the big move this IPL season.
Part I: Indians, the IPL franchises shouldn't ignore
Kevin Pietersen's current exile from English cricket is ironic manna for Indian Premier League franchises.
Vijay Mallya, the Royal Challengers Bangalore owner, paid a record $1.55 million (then Rs 73.5 million) to sign KP for IPL 2 in 2009, even though he was aware that the awesome batsman would not be available for the entire tournament.
KP responded with 329 runs, at an impressive strike rate of 136.
The Delhi Daredevils paid an undisclosed sum to acquire him ahead of IPL 5 in 2012, again despite the player being available for only part of the season.
Pietersen scored 305 runs in the eight games he featured in, including a magnificent 64-ball 103, easily one of the best hundreds in the IPL.
With Delhi deciding not to retain any of its players, Pietersen is very, very, hot property.
While Australian skipper Michael Clarke and his deputy Brad Haddin, Aussie fast bowler Ryan Harris and Eoin Morgan (who's hoping to grab KP's place in the English side) have given IPL 7 a miss, there are many overseas biggies in the fray.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Aaron Finch
Aaron was the lone plus for the now defunct Pune Warriors last season.
The aggressive batsman scored 456 runs in 14 games, at a strike rate of 136.
He has since become a star in Australia, with some real big scores against visiting teams.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
David Warner
A huge hitter, a brilliant fielder, especially in the deep, he is an asset to any team.
The Delhi Daredevils wanted to retain the aggressive (remember, how he thumped Joe Root in a bar last year) Warner, but his asking price put off the Daredevils management.
There won't be any lack of takers for him after his high scores in the Ashes series.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Mitchell Johnson
Mitch's 24 wickets helped the Mumbai Indians win the title last year.
His 37 wickets in the Ashes helped the Aussies thump England 5-0.
Mitch was the man-of-the-series and the man-of-the-match in three Ashes Tests.
Why then did Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani not retain Mitch?
Unless, of course, she wants to exercise her option of getting him back using the 'Right to Match' card.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
George Bailey
When Australia toured India last October for a one-day series, he replaced Michael Clarke as captain.
Though Australia lost the series, Bailey reaffirmed the selectors' faith with 478 runs (Average: 95.6), the best by any batsman on either side.
Then, in the third Ashes Test at the WACA in Perth, he hit 28 runs off a James Anderson over, equalling Brian Lara's record for the most runs in an over in Test cricket.
If this is not enough to earn him a record price, what is?
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Michael Hussey
No team knows Hussey's value to the side better than the Chennai Super Kings.
The Aussie has played five seasons for the two-time champions, scoring almost 1,700 runs for CSK.
With 733 runs in IPL 6, he beat Chris Gayle to the Orange Cap, awarded to the tournament's highest run-getter.
CSK may not have retained him, but will, likely, get him back, using the 'Right to Match' card.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Brad Hodge
One of the most consistent players in the IPL, Brad aggregates 1,299 runs, at an impressive strike rate (124).
His contributions towards the end of the innings helped the Rajasthan Royals make it to the last four last season.
He is -- don't forget -- the highest run-getter of all-time in T20 competition.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Quinton de Kock
Sunrisers Hyderabad paid just $20,000 to acquire him last February. The South African, alas, failed to impress.
A year later, it is a different story.
In the Champions League T20 last September, he scored an unbeaten 109 (off 63 balls) against the Otago Volts in Jaipur.
A couple of months later, a maiden one-day hundred -- 112 against Pakistan -- followed.
In December, he became one of the most exciting players in world cricket, hitting three successive hundreds in the ODI series against India.
It will be millions of dollars this IPL auction for de Kock.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Corey Anderson
On January 1, 2014, in the third ODI against the West Indies, Corey smashed the fastest century in one-day internationals, off just 36 balls!
In the ODI series against India, the 23 year old had scores of 68 not out, 44 and eight in the three ODIs he played before being rested for the final two games. He took 10 wickets as well, including a five-wicket haul at Eden Park.
In the first Test against India at Auckland, he slammed a quickfire 77.
The Kiwi will certainly fetch a hefty price at the IPL 7 auction.
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IPL 7 auction: The most sought after overseas players
Ryan ten Doeschate
The Dutchman is the best player from the merging nations (the ICC affiliates).
A superb batsman, a handy bowler and an excellent fielder, Ryan did well in the limited opportunities he got at the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Will KKR owner SRK get him back? 'Tendo', as he is affectionately known, will be worth the money spent.